Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Q.  Why has Ste. Michelle stopped producing Whidbeys Liqueur and Ports? My wife and I took a romantic getaway some 16 years ago to the island and fell in love with the winery, liqueur and port. I hear now it’s almost impossible to get port and liqueur with the Whidbey logo.
A.  I asked Kari Leitch, Director of Communications for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, to update me on the status of both the port and the liqueur. The loganberry liqueur, which I recall was absolutely scrumptious on top of ice cream, was discontinued, she reports, because the company was no longer able to source a sufficient quantity of loganberries. That may have something to do with the fact that Ste. Michelle sold the Whidbey property (Greenbank Farm) some years ago; it is now a pasture. Whidbeys port, however, is still being produced and can be bought at the winery tasting room in Woodinville and at major retailers (such as QFC, Albertson’s and Safeway) around the state.
Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.